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Just in time for the upcoming Independence Day weekend — and nearly 35 years to the day after the original release of Jaws — the South Coast has had a slew of shark shenanigans at area beaches. Last Saturday, June 26, Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol picked up a badly injured sea lion just a short distance offshore of East Beach. Taking cover on the deck of an anchored boat, the sea lion — which was suffering from two distinct bites and a nearly severed hind flipper — was the victim of a juvenile great white shark, according to Peter Howorth, founder of the Santa Barbara Marine Mammal Center. Howorth — who picked up the still-alive sea lion from Harbor Patrol and, after attempts at treating it failed, put it to sleep — explained that, based on the size and style of the bite marks, “There is absolutely no doubt it was a juvenile great white.”

One day after the sea lion incident, a baby great white shark washed up dead along Rincon Point. Though the shark carcass was gone by the time he arrived on the scene, Howorth — who also serves on the international Shark Research Committee — was confident this week that, based on eyewitness accounts of the baby shark’s size, it was not the same animal responsible for the East Beach biting. In a nod to the spookiness of a shark feeding on a sea lion so close to such a popular beach, the Santa Barbara City Junior Lifeguard program opted to stay out of the water and run its summer classes on the sand for Monday and Tuesday this week.

On a related note, Channel Islands National Park authorities issued an official warning this week, informing the public that they are entering the water “at their own risk” should they decide to go swimming off the coast of Santa Barbara Island. The statement comes after three separate, reported incidents of great white sharks feeding on sea lions near the island in recent months, including one recently in the island’s Landing Cove.

Those Junior Lifeguards run a 100x risk of drowning vs. being killed by a shark.

The greatest risk those young day-campers face is from their parent's daily drive when dropping them off (a statistically ridiculous high rate of death or injury vs. shark attacks; about 2% of ALL fatalities).

It is always interesting to see shark attack risk downplayed. Nature is powerful, cruel and unforgiving of man and animal alike. People will say sharks are not so dangerous. That attacks are few. This is just wrong and dishonest.

Total shark kill numbers might be low but the real risk is extremely high. It is a matter of exposure to risk. People are daily exposed to the risk of car accidents. Not so common is daily ocean exposure and the associated risk of shark attack. Shark attacks are much more common than what people want to believe.

You never see honest risk numbers using an apple to apple comparison when it comes to shark attacks. If the risk was assessed as to shark attacks per 100,000 people exposed sharks in the ocean as compared to car accidents per 100,000 actually exposed to this risk (or other lethal risks) it would a fearful number.

If you are in the water enough you will have an encounter with a shark. Be careful out there out there.

Spooky! I think it's strange when people say that sharks only attack people because it's a mistaken identity - like saying that paddling surfers looking like seals from below. What a bunch of bunk! I think sharks will eat whatever is meat, whether it's human, seal, or whatever! A good fleshy meal is a good fleshy meal. Yum yum.

Gaijin, et al, it depends on the kind of shark. Not all sharks attack humans. Great Whites, however, obviously are more willing to try just about anything, as are Tiger sharks. To Chester: The Junior Lifeguards did the responsible thing and stayed out of the water for a couple of days. Great Whites travel great distances for food, and it is likely the shark will move on shortly. But when one is spotted in the area, it is wise to avoid the water for awhile. Honestly, if your own kid was in Junior Lifeguards and there was a seal attack by a GW right in the waters where they swim, I'm sure you'd be concerned. It's not hysteria, it's common sense. Sharks are attracted by scent, AND noise vibrations in the water. 100 kids jumping in for a swim would certainly provoke the curiosity of any GW's in the area. In 2003, a woman was swimming up around Pismo near a group of sea lyons, and she was attacked and killed by a Great White. Authorities urged people to stay out of the water for a week until the shark moved on, which it apparently did. Here's the article:

Keeping the Jr. lifeguard kids out of the water for two days is not enough. Statistically, it might be enough, but it will never be enough time, if there is a shark attack on one of the kids. One week seems much more responsible, and worth the risk. I would not let my own kid go in the water close to where a shark attack occurred, for AT LEAST a week or more